Dragon Ball Z - The Saiyamek Saga
by XithFire
Summary: A "What if?" story. Zarbon is dead after an accident with the Saiyans, so Frieza decides not to kill off the race. One day, he has a brainstorm. I've tried to explain this story well enough for a non-expert to enjoy, but it helps to know part of the Fr
1. The Saiyamek Project

"Dodoria

**The Saiyamek Project**

"Dodoria!Dodoria, wake up, you flabby lapdog!"

The very large, pink creature groaned and blinked his eyes open.He knew very few beings in the universe that would dare address him in such a manner.And since the Ginyu Force was in a different galaxy, that left only one logical possibility.

"Yes, Lord Frieza?"

The small, feminine-looking prince gazed over at him from his makeshift throne on his base near Planet Vegeta.He had one of those "I-have-a-devious-plan" looks on his face.Dodoria groaned inwardly.That meant he was going to have to find a way to talk the kinks out of yet another plan politely enough to avoid being blown into oblivion.He hated doing that.Zarbon had always been better than he in the brains department.

"Well, Dodoria, I woke up this morning with an idea good enough to surprise even Zarbon."

"If he were still around," Dodoria muttered.He silenced himself under Frieza's glare.

"Zarbon is dead, Dodoria.He has been ever since that unfortunate incident with the Saiyan team on the volcanic planet over two decades ago.The Saiyans were executed by their loyal brethren.You were raised to his position at my right hand.Who but my second in command would you expect me to share all of my plans with?One of those stupid monkeys down there?"He pointed at Planet Vegeta.

"Forgive me, Lord Frieza," Dodoria said."It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't.Now…where was I?"Frieza rubbed his chin for a moment, in thought."Oh, yes.My idea.Let me start with a question.Of all the races in the galaxy, which do you suppose would come closest to being the direct opposite of the Saiyan race?"

Dodoria mentally searched through his database of the vast types of creatures in the galaxy.After a few moments, one jumped out at him.

"I'd have to say the Nameks," he said.

Frieza smiled."My thoughts exactly.Now…what can you tell me about the traits of a Namek?"

Dodoria thought for a while.He wondered where this interrogation was leading.He decided to humor Frieza for safety's sake.

"Well…they're green, for starters.They don't reproduce sexually, they don't eat, and they don't fight when they can help it."

Frieza nodded."Go on."

"Well, they tend to be a gentle and wise race of creatures.They do a lot of meditation and stuff.Even when they fight, there's a mentality to them that keeps them from losing control, which can make a strong Namek a fairly worthy adversary to a common warrior."

Frieza raised an eyebrow."You're surprising me with your knowledge of the race, Dodoria, but there's one thing you're still forgetting.What's one of the most notable traits of the Namek race, physically?"

Dodoria sighed.He went back over everything he'd already mentioned, then thought hard about everything he'd read or been told about the Nameks.Finally, it dawned on him.

"They can regenerate," he said.

"Very good," Frieza said, giving two quiet, sarcastic claps.Now…what can you tell me about the Saiyan race?

Dodoria blinked at his master a few times, swallowed back a grunt of confusion, and listed a few of the most notable Saiyan traits.

"Well, they're fierce warriors who grow as powerful in defeat as they do in victory.They have an inborn knack for fighting; it's almost like breathing to them.They're not very smart, but what they lack in brainpower they make up for in brute strength and fighting skill."

Frieza rolled his eyes.He was really starting to tick Dodoria off.Times like these made Dodoria wish that Frieza were as weak and pathetic as he looked.

"You're forgetting the most important thing again, Dodoria.Why is Zarbon dead?"

Dodoria was getting tired of this.What did that have to do with anything?"He was killed by those Saiyans on the volcanic planet."

Frieza nodded."Mm hmm…and how were they able to kill him?Certainly no ordinary four Saiyans could defeat a warrior like Zarbon."

Dodoria slapped his forehead.How could he have forgotten?"Of course…they do that weird transformy thing where they turn into giant apes…"

"…Whenever there's some kind of signal light to trigger the change," Frieza finished for him."Now…you're probably wondering where I'm going with this."

_Hit that nail on the head, didn't he? _Dodoria thought."Yes, Lord Frieza."

"Well…what would you think about attempting to combine the two races into one creature?"

Dodoria held back his laughter._Here come the kinks,_ he thought."Umm…Lord Frieza?How would that be possible?The Nameks reproduce asexually, don't they?"

Frieza gave him that look again.That look always made him feel stupid.He hated that.

"Dodoria…come here."

Dodoria hesitantly stepped toward Frieza, receiving a slap across the face for his trouble.

"You idiot!Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough not to remember that?Even if they could, there's too much of a risk involved.I wouldn't go to the trouble of making the two races reproduce and wait for the development and birth period if there was a chance of getting a weakling or an unmotivated fighter.I want a creature who has all the best traits of both races."

It was Dodoria's turn to raise an eyebrow.There had obviously been a lot of thought put into this one.He was starting to get interested."That would take an incredible amount of genetics, though, wouldn't it?" he asked.

Frieza nodded."That it would, Dodoria.Fortunately, I've got the greatest minds in the universe at my disposal.It pays being the strongest fighter in the universe.You've got an awful lot of influence."

Dodoria nodded.There was no denying that."Excellent plan, Lord Frieza.That kind of creature would definitely help in…evacuating…planets for resale.And if they were genetically produced, they could probably be put under mental control as well.That would eliminate the risk of an uprising like we've been wary of with the Saiyans lately."

"Let's not get carried away, Dodoria.We've been taking care of that by eliminating the first-class Saiyan warriors once they get too powerful to handle in large groups.We just keep the royalty and the heads of military alive and make it look like some of their warriors meet unfortunate ends on some of their jobs, and we eliminate that risk without causing an uprising ourselves."

Dodoria grunted.He still didn't think it would be a bad idea to get rid of the Saiyans after the first creature had been created.They could clone it after its genesis, so finding new donors wouldn't be a problem.He'd bring that up later, though, when Frieza was in more of a listening mood.

_Donors…there's another problem._"So…how do you propose that we go about finding the right "parents" for this…Saiyamek?"

Frieza grinned. "Saiyamek, huh?I like that.Clever, Dodoria.I was wondering when you'd get to that question.That's where you come in."

"Where _I_ come in?"

"Is there an echo in here, or are you just deaf?Yes, where YOU come in.You're my second in command.Don't you think there ought to be some responsibilities that come with that position?You didn't think you'd be sitting around on your fat, pink butt for the rest of your life, did you?I want you to talk to some of our planners, geneticists, geographers, and historians and figure out how to go about this…Saiyamek Operation."

Dodoria would have been extremely upset would it not have been for the fact that he'd been given his first project in months."It will be done, Lord Frieza.You can count on me."

"You'd better hope so, Dodoria, for your sake.I'm sure you don't want to see Zarbon again that soon."

Dodoria managed a "No, my lord," in response before bowing and leaving to begin his new job.He could ignore Frieza's infuriating insults and terrifying threats today.Things wouldn't be very boring around there for much longer…


	2. History Reshaped

"Dodoria

**History Reshaped**

Over the next six months, the plans were made to carry out Frieza's orders.Upon study, it was found that a powerful Namek had left his home planet and journeyed to the closer planet Earth.There, he had split into two different creatures in an effort to cleanse himself so that he could become the guardian of the planet as Kami.His alter ego, known as Piccolo-Daimo had tried to take over earth but was defeated by a young man named Goku.

Upon further examination, it was found that this Goku was actually a Saiyan named Kakarot.He had evidently been shipped to earth as a small child so that he could cleanse it for resale. He had apparently lost his memory and, therefore, had not been able to fulfill his purpose.

Earth was closer to Vegeta than Namek, the home planet of the Namek race, and this Piccolo seemed to be a better warrior than any other Namek in existence (even though he had softened up a bit since his "parent," Piccolo-Daimo was killed by Kakarot), so it seemed like that was the place to go.In the meantime, they could jog Kakarot's memory so that he could return to his home planet and be given new orders.

Kakarot's brother, Radditz, was a third-class Saiyan warrior, and since Earth was inhabited by a largely weak population in relation to Vegeta, only a single third-class Saiyan would be necessary to cleanse the planet and bring back the Namek.When Radditz revealed Kakarot's origin to him, the other Saiyan would no doubt join his brother in his task and assist in the cleansing and the capture.Along with him, he brought a carrier pod to bring Piccolo back in.

Unfortunately for them, the planners didn't think to factor in the possibility that Kakarot might not cooperate.When he refused to join his brother, Radditz kidnapped Kakarot's son, Gohan, in an attempt to force Kakarot to comply with his wishes.Piccolo, who had seen the threat to Earth and to himself from this powerful warrior from another planet, joined with Kakarot in defeating Radditz.Ultimately, the duo was successful, though Kakarot sacrificed his own life to save the planet.

While studying Kami's origin, the planners stumbled onto the secret of the Dragon Balls.These magic spheres, created by certain Nameks, granted a wish to one who could gather all seven together in one place.The idea intrigued Frieza, so he ordered that the Namek be brought back alive so that he might reveal the secret of manufacturing the balls to one of Frieza's mystics.

Naturally, the idea of the Dragon Balls granting a wish to the gatherer intrigued more than just the universal tyrant.Vegeta, the prince of the Saiyans and the most powerful warrior of the race, was also excited by the possibility of his deepest desires being within his grasp.For this reason, he requested that Frieza send him and his childhood caretaker and companion, Nappa, to finish what Radditz started.Frieza complied, not suspecting one of the Saiyans to have his own agenda.After all, they were just monkeys.

Little did Vegeta know that back on Earth, Radditz had been less than cautious in revealing the fact that more Saiyans would be arriving soon.Piccolo had been training Kakarot's son, Gohan, who had evidently revealed an untapped power within him, and Kakarot's other friends were busy training and trying to find the Dragon Balls to wish him back.Kakarot himself had been training under the otherworldly King Kai, originator and master of the art of Kaio-Ken.

Naturally, the resistance that the Earthlings exhibited took Vegeta and Nappa by surprise.Still, the small squad of fighters was nothing compared to the two first-class Saiyan warriors.After killing three of the fighters and taking Piccolo out of commission, they learned from Gohan and Kakarot's remaining friend, Krillin, that Kakarot himself was on his way to join the fight.

Vegeta decided that it might be fun to wait for Kakarot."He might present more of a challenge than these weaklings," he suggested to Nappa.After just over three hours of waiting, Kakarot DID arrive, presenting more of a challenge than the prince could have dreamed.After easily defeating Nappa, Kakarot was almost able to defeat Vegeta with the help of his son's Oozaru transformation (the "giant ape thing," as Dodoria put it) and a fat swordsman named Yajirobe.Vegeta barely escaped with his life…and the captive Piccolo in tow in the carrier pod.

***

"Daddy!"

Gohan ran and jumped into his father's lap.Goku laughed, trying to mask the pain that his son had inadvertently brought with him.He was still a little tender after his fight the month before with the Saiyan prince, Vegeta.

"Hey, son.How are things at home?"

"They're OK, Dad.Mom's making me study a lot, and we really miss you.But I'm still training!"

Goku smiled.That was his boy."I'm glad to hear it, son.Train your body and your mind.It will make you a great fighter one day.Hey, good news.The doctor said I might be coming home this week!"

"That is good news."

They both looked toward the door.The voice had come from Goku's wife, Chi-Chi, who had just arrived.She entered, with Krillin, Bulma and Master Roshi bringing up the rear.

"It's just not tha same without ya active, Goku.You never come around ta give me grief anymore!"

Goku laughed."Well, you've still got Krillin to do that for you, Mater Roshi."

"Hey!" said Krillin, Goku's best friend since childhood."I might be a pest sometimes, but…well, OK, I might be a pest all the time, but you don't have to go around telling everybody.What if that hot nurse down the hall had heard you, huh?What kind of chance would I have with her?"

"Hey now, Mr. No-Nose," said the old master, "I already told you I've got dibs on the blond one.You'd better be talking about her blue-haired friend."

"Of course, Master Roshi, of course."

Goku smiled._Some things never change, _he thought.He looked at Bulma, who was busy with the Dragon Radar."How's the search coming, Bulma?"

Bulma answered without looking up."We've got five of the balls, Goku.The sixth is somewhere in the ocean near Master Roshi's island.Turtle is looking for it as we speak.The seventh…well…we're looking.That's all I can say.You know how it is finding these things once they've been separated."

Goku nodded.He knew all too well."Well…we've got to keep trying at it.The sooner we find the Dragon Balls, the sooner we can wish back the rest of the gang."

"And Mr. Piccolo!" said Gohan.

Goku grinned at his son.Gohan had grown quite attached to Piccolo during his training.From what he'd heard, the feeling had been fairly mutual."And Mr. Piccolo, Gohan.We'll be wishing everyone back."

"Everyone except Chaotzu," Master Roshi said sadly.

Gohan looked confused."Why won't Mr. Chaotzu be coming back, Master Roshi?"

"Because he's already been wished back to life once, Gohan.The Dragon Balls only have the power to bring someone back to life once."

Krillin nodded."That's right.Too bad, too.He's a nice little fella.Tien's gonna be pretty tore up to have to fight without him."

"At least Yamcha will be able to come back," Bulma said.It had only been a month, and she missed her boyfriend already.

"In the meantime, we've all got some training to do ourselves," Goku said."The Saiyans obviously want Piccolo for something, and we need to be ready in case whatever that reason is threatens us in the future."

Krillin shook his head."I don't think that'll be a problem, Goku.It's gonna take a year for Vegeta and Piccolo to get back to the Saiyans.We'll have the Dragon Balls and the wish made by then."

Goku nodded."You're right about that, Krillin.But you've got to remember, the Dragon Balls were used to wish me back only a month ago.That means we've got eleven months before we can use them.Even when we do, the Saiyans are going to be pretty mad when their prisoner disappears right when they have him where they need him.We need to be ready for them when they return.That gives us just under two years to get at least as powerful as Vegeta.Who knows.He may not have been the strongest warrior the Saiyans have to offer."

"Hold on right there, Mister," Chi-Chi said angrily."If you think for one minute that my little Gohan is going to take part in this fighting business, you can just wake up and smell the coffee!Gohan is not going to be a fighter, Goku!He's going to be a scholar!The only thing he's going to be training is his mind."

"Aw, Mom!" Gohan whined.

"Don't you 'Aw, Mom!' me, young man!You will do as your mother tells you."

"Umm…Chi-Chi, honey, baby, sweetie," Goku tried."We're talking about the fate of the world here.As soon as the Saiyans are beaten back, Gohan can go back to his studies."

"I DON'T CARE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FATE OF THE WHOLE FREAKING UNIVERSE!NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY BABY'S FUTURE!"

Goku cringed and waited for the ringing in his ears to stop.He decided not to bring up the fact that if they all died, Gohan wouldn't have a future.Chi-Chi always got like this when Goku mentioned the possibility of Gohan fighting.It would just take some coaxing, that's all.He had about 2 weeks of healing left to do, anyway.Surely that would be enough time to think of some sort of compromise…


	3. Insults...With Interest

Insults…with Interest

Insults…with Interest 

"You did WHAT?!"

Bulma turned and faced Yajirobe, bathing him in spit and his own…well…you know.

"I said I sold the five star Dragon Ball to the Satan City Museum.What are ya, deaf?And you've gotta stop scaring me like that, Bulma!You're gonna give me a heart attack someday!"

"Humph," she said.He had it coming to him.For eleven months now she'd been trying to find that one lousy Dragon Ball, and while Goku and Gohan (when he could get away from Chi-Chi) had been training for the upcoming fight in the Room of Spirit and Time, SHE had been left to do the dirty work.It wasn't until she'd had a run in with Tubbo Lard himself that she finally found the missing link.Heart attack.Anyone who could stoop that low didn't have a heart anyway.Maybe she'd give him a wallet attack.

"At least all that cholesterol would get a break from swimming around in your veins.Honesty, Yajirobe, how did you manage to swing that sword to cut Vegeta's tail off without knocking some of that lard off of yourself?"

"Well, it takes excellent precision.Only a true master could…hey!Stop talking about my weight!I'm the whole reason this stinking planet is still in one piece!"

Bulma's jaw dropped to the ground."Why?Because you had one little lapse of coward sense and decided to cut off the monkey's tail WHEN HIS BACK WAS TURNED?!You didn't beat Vegeta!Goku and Gohan did!"

Yajirobe put his hands on his hips…another amazing feat of precision."OK, I'll admit that Goku did a lot more than I did.But all the kid did was go ape and fall on Vegeta!I mean, jeez.I could have done that!Well…without the going ape part, anyway."

Bulma crossed her arms."Probably would have done more damage," she muttered.

Yajirobe was insulted."Hey!I heard that!"

"Yeah, and!?You deserve more than my insults after what you did, you fat slob!Not only would we NEVER have been able to find the Dragon Ball thanks to the anti-tracking system in the museum, but do you realize what it's going to COST to get it back?We'll all be dead by the time we get enough money, even without the Saiyans coming!"

Yajirobe smiled."Keep your shirt on, toots."_Actually…_ he thought.He pushed the thought from his mind.Yamcha would kill him."Don't you remember that as far as the world knows, I'm the one responsible for defeating the Saiyans anyway?I "trained" Goku."Taught him everything he knows."

Bulma glared at him."Wipe that smirk off your face.You're just lucky that you're such a slimy, dishonest little punk.You'll just have to use your…err…charm…to get the ball back."

"No problem," Yajirobe replied."I'll just give them their money back and that will be that."

"OK, then.You won't mind if I tag along to help negotiate," Bulma said with a smirk of her own.

Yajirobe jumped, his eyes widening.She'd seen right through his bluff."Umm…no, that's OK…umm…I can take care of it myself!"

"Yeah, right.You know you're just going to run off and hide in some dark corner of the globe somewhere and live in the lap of luxury!"

"Yeah, well, maybe the savior of the world deserves to retire, Bulma!Y'ever think of that, huh?"

"Savior of the world?!You're nothing but a fat, lazy, loudmouth, full-of-yourself JACK-A…

"…as I was saying," Yajirobe interrupted."I can take care of getting the balls back myself.Now why don't you scoot along and go see how Goku and the Sons are doing, huh?"

Bulma was grinning and looking behind Yajirobe, slightly above his head.He slowly turned to look.

"Huh?What're you…ACK!"

"I'm doing fine, Yajirobe," Goku said."Say, you haven't by any chance seen the five star Dragon Ball lying around, have you?"

"Umm…" Yajirobe stood, teeth chattering and trousers moistening.How long had Goku been standing there?"Actually, uh, Goku, umm, I was about to go get it right this minute.Be right back!"

With that, he turned and ran, moving surprisingly fast for his size.

"Yajirobe!Wait!" Goku hollered after him.He looked over to Bulma and shrugged."I was just going to ask him if he had anything to eat.I'm starving!"

Bulma smiled._Still the same old Goku,_ she thought._The Other World didn't change him that much._"Don't worry about him, Goku," she said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder."He won't get very far.Besides, I have an idea.Go get the other Dragon Balls and meet me at Satan City Museum, pronto."

Goku cocked his head to one side, slightly confused."Whatever you say, Bulma…whatever you say…"


	4. Working out the Kinks

Working out the Kinks  
  
The Prince of the Saiyans frowned even more deeply than normal. The Namek was beginning to be a pest. Every day...at this exact hour...minute...second. Every day, for almost nine months now. He knew it would come. It had slowly been driving insane. It was almost as if the fool were trying to force Vegeta to crash headlong into a planet if only to end the monotony.  
  
Vegeta laid back, voicing a silent prayer to any god there may have been that maybe today it would be silent. He'd know in about three seconds.  
  
Two...  
  
One...  
  
"You will fail."  
  
A low, gutteral growl escaped Vegeta's throat again. Those were the only three words he had heard from the Namek...the only words he'd heard from any living creature...for the past eleven months.  
  
He toyed again with the idea of shutting off the radio. He knew it wasn't wise, even though the Namek was restrained. He'd heard of too many fighters disappearing from the depths of space to take any chances. Should the Namek actually get free or gain the ability to use his energy, it was one of those rare times when Vegeta, the Prince of the Saiyans and their strongest living warrior, was vulnerable.  
  
It had started when they were about two month into the journey. The Namek spent most of the time meditating, but he seemed to have been able to sense the particular time of day that Vegeta awoke to recieve his daily rations. Vegeta had spent a good part of his conscious time in the past nine months trying to figure out how.  
  
It certainly didn't have anything to do with the time the Namek received his water injection. There were three hours difference between the automatic rationing system in the Namek's pod and Vegeta's own rationing system.  
  
Perhaps it is linked to the way they sense each other over great distances, he thought. Sensing was one of the abilities that he and Nappa hadn't encountered before. So was the hiding of power levels. Energy-reading devices such as scouters were of no use to the Earthlings. They almost seemed to have such things built into their systems naturally. That had to be it.  
  
"Grr....that's what YOU think, Namek! It ends now! You'll be sorry you ever opened your mouth once we get back to my planet! But in the meantime...I think we need to make a little pitstop."  
  
No answer...go figure.  
  
Vegeta started searching the sky for a suitable spot to take care of some business. Spotting a low-level world that needed cleansing anyway, he decided to take a break from the bores of long-distance space travel.   
  
Finally, he thought. This stop is long overdue.  
  
***  
  
"So...you're finally back, I see."  
  
Goku cringed. Chi-Chi's voice was so cold, it actually sent a chill down his back.  
  
"Chi-Chi...you have to understand, honey. Gohan might be the key to this whole thing. Piccolo was right...there's a power in him that..."  
  
"So now you're taking Piccolo's judgement over mine?! Goku, the man...err...Namek tried to kill you! On numerous occasions!"  
  
"Chi-Chi...I know that Piccolo and I have had our differences in the past...put you've got to remember that if it wasn't for him, Gohan wouldn't even be around to help or study right now."  
  
Chi-Chi looked at the ground, her frown fading a little.  
  
"And of course I wouldn't take Piccolo's judgement over yours in matters about our son. You're his mother. You've got as much of a say in things as I have. But at the rate we've been going, I wouldn't be surprised if Gohan were even stronger than Krillin right now. Krillin may have more skill, but as far as raw power, Gohan goes beyond anything I've ever seen."  
  
Chi-Chi sighed and walked into Goku's waiting embrace.  
  
"I know...and I know that if you don't have all the help you can get, Gohan may not even have a future to prepare for. I just worry about him, Goku. He's our only son."  
  
Goku smiled a little and hugged Chi-Chi tight.  
  
"Well...if you remember correctly, we Son men have always been a bit resourceful...not to mention lucky."  
  
Chi-Chi let a tiny grin slip through, despite herself. She couldn't remember how many times Goku's sheer luck had gotten them through tough situations as kids.  
  
She wrapped her arms around her husband. "I love you, Goku. And I trust your judgement. I know you love Gohan as much as I do, and you wouldn't let anything happen to him that you didn't think he could handle."  
  
She stepped back and looked directly into his eyes. "I'm trusting you to take care of our son, Goku. Do you understand me?"  
  
Goku smiled, then let his face fade into a serious expression. "Gohan is a resourceful boy, Chi-Chi. But if he gets in over his head, you've got my word that I'll do everything in my power to rescue him." He smiled again. That smile always made her feel better. "Remember what happened with Garlic, Jr?"  
  
Chi-Chi smiled slightly. That threat to the entire universe had been taken care of simply because he had kidnapped Goku's son. Suddenly, Chi-Chi was a bit less worried that she'd been before.  
  
"Ok, Goku. I trust you." She walked to the table and picked up his bag. Carrying it over to him, she said, "I guess you'd better take these to Satan City now. Bulma's probably been waiting for a while.  
  
"Huh? Oh my gosh! I nearly forgot! Thanks, honey."  
  
Goku grabbed the bag and darted for the door. Reaching it, he stopped, turned, and blew Chi-Chi a kiss. "Be back soon," he said.  
  
Chi-Chi reached up and mocked catching the kiss. "I hope so, Goku. I hope so." 


End file.
